title: The G alpha protein ODR-3 mediates olfactory and nociceptive function and controls cilium morphogenesis in C. elegans olfactory neurons.
abstract: The Gi/Go-like G alpha protein ODR-3 is strongly and selectively implicated in the function of C. elegans olfactory and nociceptive neurons. Either loss of odr-3 function or overexpression of odr-3 causes severe olfactory defects, and odr-3 function is essential in the ASH neurons that sense noxious chemical and mechanical stimuli. In the nociceptive neurons, ODR-3 may interact with OSM-9, a channel similar to the mammalian capsaicin receptor implicated in pain sensation; in AWC olfactory neurons, ODR-3 may interact with another signal transduction pathway. ODR-3 exhibits an unexpected ability to regulate morphogenesis of the olfactory cilia. In odr-3 null mutants, the fan-like AWC cilia take on a filamentous morphology like normal AWA cilia, whereas ODR-3 overexpression in AWA transforms its filamentous cilia into a fan-like morphology.
authors.affiliation: Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Anatomy, University of California, San Francisco 94143, USA.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Roayaie
authors.forename: J G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Crump
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sagasti
authors.forename: C I
authors.initials: CI
authors.lastname: Bargmann
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001362:Avoidance Learning / Q000502:physiology; D001483:Base Sequence; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000502:physiology*; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D002923:Cilia / Q000502:physiology*; D019206:GTP-Binding Protein alpha Subunits, Gi-Go; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D020962:Heterotrimeric GTP-Binding Proteins; D008465:Mechanoreceptors / Q000503:physiopathology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation; D009475:Neurons, Afferent / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D009619:Nociceptors / Q000502:physiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D009833:Olfactory Pathways / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D012678:Sensation Disorders / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology; D012903:Smell / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; C110666:odr-3 protein, C elegans; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins; D019206:GTP-Binding Protein alpha Subunits, Gi-Go; D020962:Heterotrimeric GTP-Binding Proteins